Axle-box for vehicle-wheels.



i T. HILL.

AAXLE B0X PoR VEH-IQLE WHEELS.

. APPLIOATION'PVILHD PEB. 1s. 1903.

No MODEL.

w Noms Having. co. pnuwumo whsummnu. nv c PATENTED SEPT. 22

UNITED STATESy 'Patented September 22, 1903.

THOMAS HILL, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

AXLE-BOX FOR VEHICLE-WH EELS.

SPECIFlCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,415, datedSeptember 22, 1903. 7 Y Application filed February 16, 1903. Serial N0-143.477. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that l, THOMAS" HILL, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of' New Jersey,'have' invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Boxesfor Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification. a

The invention relates tov improvements in vehiclewheels, and pertainsmore especially to the hub portion of the wheel; and the said inventionconsists in anovel tubular axle-box to be driven into the hubs of wheelsand to receive the end ofl the axle.

Heretofore the hubs of vehicle-wheels have been provided witha tubularsleeve or box to be driven into the hub of the wheel and there securedby wedging and otherwise; but as heretofore constructed thesetubularsleeves or axle-boxes have proven to be deicient in manyparticulars,more especially inthe means and methods for securing them in place, andmy invention pertains to this feature of a vehi- `cle-wheel andlconsists in the novel axle-box hereinafter described and claimedadapted to be driven intothe hub of awheel and to be there secured inavery efficient manner. The axle-box of my invention isl provided on itsexterior surface with a series of flu'tings or longitudinal grooves, andin its preferred form" the diameter of the box through the base ofopposite grooves is somewhat less in diameter than the diameterof theentering end of the box, while the diameter of the said boxthrough theapex of opposite ridges between the grooves is somewhat greater indiameter than the diameter of the entering end of the'box.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section throughan'axle-box constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention,this axle-box being shown in position in the hub of a wheel, said hubbeing indicatedv by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a detached side elevation ofsame. Fig. 3 is avertical trans` verse section of same on the dottedline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a .vertical transverse section, partlybroken away, through the axlebox and hub on the dotted line 4 l of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in longitudinal section', of amodified form of axle-box embodying my invention, the modificationconsisting `simply in tapering the outer end of the box instead ofproviding the'same with the head shown in Fig. 2 5 and Fig. 6 is avertical transverse section of same on the dotted line 6 6 Of Fig. i5.

' In' the drawings, 10 designates the axle-box of my invention, and 11the usual hub of a wheel, said hub being provided with a longitudinalbore l2 to receive the box 10. The

axle-box 10 is of tubular form, as shown, and

is to be driven into the bore 12 of the hub 11.

The novel feature of the box 10 is inthe formation of the exteriorsurface thereof, this surface being slightly tapered and providedintermediate its ends with the series of longitudinal grooves 13, whoseleft-hand ends gradually merge into the smooth exterior surfaces of thebox and whose right-hand base of opposite grooves 13 is somewhat lessthan the diameter across the entering or lefthand end of the box lO,while the apex of the ridges or utings l5 follow the uniform taper ofthe exterior of the box.

In the employment of the invention the box 1() is driven into the bore12 of the hub 11, it being necessary that there should be a very tightfit of the box in said bore. In accordance with my invention the drivingof the box 10 into the hub 11 effects the very'important resultoflocking the box in position both against rotation and longitudinaldisplacement, and this is accomplished by reason of the grooves 13 andridges or iiutings 15. When the box 10 is driven into the hub 11, theridges orvflutings 15 will be crowded into the wood ofthe hub 11 andcause a displacement of a portion thereof into the grooves 13, the woodof the hub being displaced laterally along the opposite edges of theridges In the preferred'construction of the box 10 the diameter of thebox through the ICO or flutings and entering said grooves 13, where itwill serve to form a number of locks to hold the box lO againstVrotation and also against longitudinal displacement. The presence of thegrooves 13 and ridges l5, without regard to the diameter of the boxthrough opposite grooves with respect to the diameter of the enteringend of the box, would prevent any rotation of the box within the hub andalso aid in preventing the longitudinal displacement of the box; butwhen the diameter through the base of the opposite grooves 13 is lessthan the diameter of the entering end of the box and the wood of the hubis forced into said grooves it will be seen that the wood lying withinthe grooves serves to lock the box against longitudinal displacement,since the diameter of the bore of the hub at the base of the oppositegrooves then becomes less than the diameter of the entering end of thebox 10, and it is one of the purposes of my invention vthat the wood ofthe hub 1l, at the intermediate portions of the bore l2, shall bedisplaced inwardly, so as to reduce the diameter of said bore, andthereby prevent the longitudinal displacement of the box l0. rlhe borel2 may be formed in the usual manner in the hub 1l, and hence there isnothing new in the hub itself, my invention pertaining solely to theconstruction of the box l0, the outer surface of the latter being soformed that when driven into the hub l1 it will become locked againstboth rotary and longitudinal movement.

My invention dispenses entirely with all of the usual means employed forlocking axleboxes in their hubs and is not only for this reason of greatadvantage, but it is also of substantial benefit, because by reasonthereof the axle-box becomes more efficiently locked in position thanhas heretofore been possible with the means heretofore known for thatpurpose.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate an ordinary form of axle-box with my inventionembodied therein,

this box being provided with the grooves 13 and ridges or iiutings 15,but having a tapered outer end instead of being provided with the head14. (Shown in Fig. 2.) I prefer the employment of the head 14 on theaxle-boxes 10, but am aware that in some localities it is customary totaper the outer ends of the boxes, and therefore I present theillustration shown in Fig. 5, so as to indicate that my invention isapplicable both to axle boxes having the head la and to axle-boxeshaving a tapered outer end.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In combination with the wooden hub of 6o a vehicle-wheel, the axlebox tapered on its exterior intermediate its ends and along said taperedportion having the longitudinal grooves and the longitudinally-taperedridges or utings intermediate said grooves and adapted to be pressedinto the wood of the hub, said grooves being disposed to receive thewood of the hub displaced by said ridges or flutings when the box isdriven into the hub; substantially as set forth.

2. The axle-box for wheel-hubs, said box having a tapered exteriorsurface and over said surface having the longitudinal grooves betweenwhich are the longitudinally-tapered ridges or iiutings adapted to bepressed into the wood of the hub, said grooves being disposed to receivethe wood of the hub displaced by said ridges or flutings when the box isdriven into the hub, and the diameter of said box through the base ofsaid grooves being less than the diameter of the entering portion of thebox; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 13th day 85 of February, A. D. 1903.

THOMAS lllLL.

lVitnesses CHAs. C. GILL, ARTHUR MARION.

